No Fear. God's here!

PDF Version: AWA Weekly 211225.PDF

Video Message

Click image or here for YouTube video message.

Merry Christmas!
 
Please enjoy the linked 2’35” video rather than taking time today to read and reflect. The YouTube facilitated video likely communicates our hearts’ intents this day better and more efficiently than the words of Written Message below in this Christmas Day update.
 

We spend the day in Bondoukou worshipping, relaxing, and re-ordering our home after a week of some travel and sharing. We took special time in familial worship to sing hymns and carols after reading Luke 1-2.40 yesterday and Matthew 1 – 2 today. God bless each and all who celebrate the coming of Emmanuel with us today. May God keep blessing those under His influence who still have not recognized the power of our once and future King. So many souls have yet to join God’s movement! May they gain His peace and goodwill and come to faith thanks to believers’ acts of obedience during our days on earth.

Written Message
Please only read if there's time for reflection
and inability to view the easier to follow, more informative video.)

Like angels of old, today we share tidings of great joy: a Savior has been born to us. Peace and goodwill to all!
 

Like prophets of old, contemporaries of Jesus’ time, and Christians through the centuries until now, we share the angel’s command to Jesus’ family and friends at birth: have no fear, God is here!
 

We recognize today that the only real threat to abundant and fulfilled living is the choice of whom each of us serves. COVID does not threaten our making good decisions to embrace life. No disease can. Earth-bound powers seeking more than God-defined control of information or who attempt to force changes of human behavior by intimidation are proven ineffective against the powers given to humanity by the Savior-King Jesus. We live life more fully when joint choices made in communion and community to obediently collaborate or submit determine group actions. Ostensibly, elections confer what power others called leaders can exert. There is but one true leader of each and all we can elect to serve: the Savior-King whose birth and life we choose to recognize this season.
 

We each choose the good upon which to concentrate. By faith, we use our influence within circles of family, friends, and fellow workers to do good. We can bind ourselves together in many ways to ask the Lord’s blessing for overcoming any of life’s challenges. Chaos only exists where God’s defined world order fails to get recognized as reigning. (God’s Word determines the sun’s place in space, defines the limits of joy-filled human relations, and remains solely capable of describing reality’s wholeness and oneness adequately.) Grace and Truth recognized in praise and obedience structure organization out of confusion. Choose together to see Jesus’ orders reign. Let’s help all find shalom, the peace on earth, and goodwill foretold. Reality is as a favorite president of my grandparents once communicated: ‘We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.’ Knowing Jesus by faith makes courage possible. Fear stimulated by deception shuts us down. Such fears alone empower Satan in the world God created and designed by His Word made flesh. Only a good and reformed conscience effectively resists fearmongering, Satanic deceptions. Jesus overcame. His people overcome. Though not easy and without risk, God dwells here amidst us, by the power of His Holy Spirit, who presently fashions believers’ hearts and minds. Jesus-Christ is Truth. He always lights each of our ways through dark times like a flashlight, letting us unite again in brighter days.
 

May each find their joy of life in thankfulness today, celebrating what we have with childlike gratefulness. For Verlin and Debbie, the greatest gift remains Him who’s continuous giving cannot get exhausted. The gift remains the hope that the angels announced: a Savior has been born to us. We need not live in fear. In that light of Christmas, as Charles Dickens enjoined us through the seemingly immortal character of Tiny Tim, we wish ‘A Merry Christmas to all; God bless us every one!’

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 See Season’s Reasons for our Holiday Season concerns.
   
  
• 🙏 Exceptionally, our local pastor’s wife suffers a reoccurrence of her ulcers. See Gems of Grace. Symptoms returned during our September through October absence. Unfortunately, aggressive resumption of nutritional interventions did not resume until weeks after we returned.

Your Partners in the Gospel,

Verlin and Debbie

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational, and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to provide support as we maintain residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax-deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF (0% fee).

Prior: Season's Reasons
        - 211218 PDF
Prior Videos: PA Come & Go
        - Cleanup Champs

2021 Q3 Report: Door Dynamics
  -  2021 Q3 Anderson Report 211113 PDF

2021 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2021-Budget.pdf
 
  Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Cote d'Ivoire where we serve.

GIVEONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page

Season's Reasons

CHSC LINK: Season's Reasons

PDF Version: AWA Weekly 211218.PDF

Reasons He Came

As we celebrate Christmas next week, we choose to celebrate the season's reasons! Join us as we ponder just a few of the reasons Jesus said He came.

• • ● The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor…I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose. (Luke 4:18-19;43b)

• • ● I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. (John 12:46)

• • ● I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. (John 6:51)

• • ● For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

• • ● Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. (Mark 2:17)

• • ● The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

Reasons we Went and You Sent

Jesus very clearly knew the reasons He came to earth. His motivations keep motivating us to leave there and for you to send us here. Over the past 20+ years, our partnership has resulted in thousands more people being introduced to Jesus and has led to striking improvements in the nation's public health system while integrating CHE approaches. The picture is from our main grocery store in town. The scrawny tree and toys on the floor at the store’s entrance show some of the few signs of Christmas in town. Saddest of all, no indication of Jesus anywhere. This is why we came. Thank you, faithful friends, for never forgetting the season's reasons! Joyous Christmas from our home to yours!!

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 All praise to Emmanuel for accomplishing His purposes while on earth! Friday was a day of 5-visitors seeking counsel, only one of whom was expected. Subjects fellow witnesses touched on were . . .
• » DBS uses for denominational growth while fostering a national DMM to reach others,
   
  
• » starting where with CHE? – where with DBS?,
   
  
• » steps to recommence moringa agricultural project and propagate mushroom production,
   
  
• » provide reports to Campus Crusade for Christ from recent uses of the video-projection material provided for witness that a Gideon co-laborer here obtained for use through our contacts.
   
  
The day weaved planning around mentions of ongoing encouragement and checkup visits we anticipate making through May. Trainings are scheduled into mid-2022. May our praise supersede the Islamic Jumada al-Ula celebrations to which we listen while prepping to send this update!
 

• 🙏 All praise to Emmanuel who equips us to accomplish His purposes on earth!
   
  
• 🙏 Pray with us for people struggling with grief, illness, and loss this Christmas, including families devastated by the recent tornadoes. We think specifically of ministry partners and friends facing these situations: one family lost a beloved wife and mother this week; another friend buried her father; a couple's granddaughter is in months of recovery after a car accident almost took her life; a missionary colleague started treatments for cancer. Jesus, be their Peace.
   
  

Your Partners in the Gospel,

Verlin and Debbie

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational, and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to provide support as we maintain residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax-deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF (0% fee).

Prior: Travel Troubles
        - 211211 PDF
Prior Videos: PA Come & Go
        - Cleanup Champs

2021 Q3 Report: Door Dynamics
  -  2021 Q3 Anderson Report 211113 PDF

2021 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2021-Budget.pdf
 
  Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Cote d'Ivoire where we serve.

GIVEONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page

Travel Troubles

CHSC LINK: Travel Troubles

PDF Version: AWA Weekly 211211.PDF

Trying Times

Consider the travel troubles that ‘young marrieds’ Joseph and Mary experienced during the birth and infancy of Jesus. Nazareth to Bethlehem is about 80 miles. That is the direct route through the then dangerous Samaria. They likely walked over 90 miles. Even healthy peasants would be fatigued from walking for days, mostly uphill. Imagine the fierce sun beating down on the young woman about to give birth, the stress on Joseph as he cared for his exhausted wife. Then, multiply the danger and fear when they fled to Egypt to escape the edict of a murderous politician seeking additional power. Picture the night exodus from home to an African land speaking languages they did not know. How often did Mary hush her young son? What financial concerns riddled Joseph as he looked for food and lodging for an unknown length of time?

Tiring Trends

These details from the life of Jesus resonate with us witnessing in Africa. Part of it is simply the hassle of travel troubles on less developed country roads. Specifically, in Cote d'Ivoire, we prepare adequate food and water if stranded, tools to do roadside repairs (no AAA here!), a strategy if we encounter armed road bandits, and disarming conversations for law enforcement who still occasionally ask for bribes. Offering hospitality is an essential Christian grace. Travelers need help for many reasons. This week, we welcomed two FWB pastors, a pastor's wife, and the bride's brother in town for a wedding. One of our pastor's daughters got married on Saturday.
 
 

Beyond our personal experience, we think of missionary families serving with Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC). Many serve in less hospitable African nations. Political upheaval affects their ministries. We empathize while remembering our family's evacuations a few years ago. Even worse than our collective experiences are the nations' citizens' displacements and sufferings. While some clamor for political power, multitudes walk through similar trials to Joseph and Mary's. They flee from their homes with little food, water, health care to find little shelter. Death awaits many. This tiring trend on our sinful planet makes us long even more for the coming Kingdom where peace, righteousness, and truth reign. It also reminds us that we can offer Peace, Righteousness, and Truth each day as citizens of that Kingdom. The CHE strategy we use is so ubiquitous now that we have met some who use the approaches in refugee camps.

Prayer & Praise

• 

  Grateful that ‘Young Marrieds’
  who believe like these pictured
  marrying today still happen, and
  lives lived obediently keep on going!

  🙏 Pray for the nations where ongoing conflict wreaks havoc and creates humanitarian crises for the suffering populations. Ask the Lord to give our CHSC missionary colleagues peace and wisdom as they make decisions about ministry. Ask for enduring stability in Cote d'Ivoire. Most of all, pray for the citizens whose health, homes, and very lives remain at risk. Violence affects the spread of the Gospel, too.
   
  
• 🙏 Pray young married couples like the couple joined today in our local church increasingly choose to live for the Lord as they travel together through their generation's troubles.
   
  
• 🙏 Thank the Lord with us that Debbie's mom remains at home and is doing quite well. Pray that she and her doctor find the right solutions to prevent further TIAs.
   
  

Your Partners in the Gospel,

Verlin and Debbie

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational, and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to provide support as we maintain residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax-deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF (0% fee).

Prior: The Long Expected
        - 211204 PDF
Prior Videos: PA Come & Go
        - Cleanup Champs

2021 Q3 Report: Door Dynamics
  -  2021 Q3 Anderson Report 211113 PDF

2021 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2021-Budget.pdf
 
  Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Cote d'Ivoire where we serve.

GIVEONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page

The Long-Expected

CHSC LINK: The Long-Expected

PDF Version: AWA Weekly 211204.PDF

Long-Expected

Joy erupts when long-expected
visits by loved Grands happen!

One precious sight we enjoy is seeing our grand-daughter Chelsea wait on the porch for us when she knows we are coming to her house for a long-expected visit. Since our visits are rare, we all are mentally “on tiptoe” in excitement to finally exchange hugs. Of course, the same anticipation abounds in greeting our grown children, parents, and other family and friends. Still, something is particularly endearing about the anticipation of a child.
 
 

Chelsea’s exuberant welcome reminds us of the heartfelt yearning we feel for our Savior’s second advent. When the trumpet sounds and He descends, will He find us eagerly waiting while busying ourselves on the porch? For us, the yearly advent season is a time of reflection and hope. We ponder the prophecies Jesus fulfilled by meditating on Isaiah and listening to Messiah. We marvel and accept His humility to tabernacle on earth and save us from sin. Finally, we surrender to His call to share His first and second advents with others. Come again soon, Thou Long Expected Jesus!

Long-Delayed

Missionary life is full of advents that get long-delayed by interruptions. This week included several visitors and other duties that overturned numerous plans. The visitors were a joy to welcome. They represented people earnestly seeking to improve their walk with Christ, wanting counsel or help reaching other people. Two visits will result in further CHE training, and one will assist a local church. The other time-consuming activities related to next year’s budget, negotiations with our landlord, and verifying how we can cite news articles in these updates that we send. We await “on tiptoe” to see how the Lord works things out for His glory and our good, even on mundane or grueling topics.

Prayer & Praise

• 🙏 May personal reflection during this advent season cause us to obey Emmanuel completely. May it also reignite our fire to share the truth about His second coming.
   
  
• 🙏 Pray for the church that Verlin begins training in the use of Discovery Bible Studies tomorrow. It is located about an hour from our home. He will give testimony, sign-up those with whom to model the process, and then, for about six weeks, help congregation members begin groups.
   
  
• 🙏 May we all stay on mission to daily engage with God’s Word. Pray that we zealously model, encourage, and assist other believers in doing the same.
   
  

Your Partners in the Gospel,

Verlin and Debbie

Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC) is a mission of dedicated medical professionals who participate in the CHE Global Network. Together, in a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, denominational, and nondenominational agencies, we share God's Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Verlin and Debbie accept donor partners to contribute as led to provide support as we maintain residential ministry to expand CHE ministries in Cote d'Ivoire under the auspices of CHSC & Ivorian partners. Tax-deductible contributions by check are to be made payable to the CHSC with Andersons #0118 written on the memo line. Mail to CHSC - PO Box 132 - Fruitvale, TX 75127. Give online via the CHSC @ www.che4a.org (3% fee) or TDF (0% fee).

Prior: Transforming Habit
        - 211127 PDF
Prior Videos: PA Come & Go
        - Cleanup Champs

2021 Q3 Report: Door Dynamics
  -  2021 Q3 Anderson Report 211113 PDF

2021 Budget Info:
CHSC-0118_ANDERSON-2021-Budget.pdf
 
  Something to ask? Write updates@verlindeb.org

AWA represents
Andersons Witness in Africa.
It is also a brand of bottled water in Cote d'Ivoire where we serve.

GIVEONLINE to support these ministries
                                   www.che4a.org

Debbie's Facebook Page

Verlin's Facebook Page